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"I’hed aardly "And to think I’y I should know ht? Guess theory and practicality don’t always go hand in hand I apologize"

Annnnnnnnnd Axe blinked again

Fuck He hadn’t expected her to get his boundary Much less respect it

At a loss, he sat down at the foot of her bed

Running his hand through his hair, he put his elbows on his knees and thought, Yeah, he really needed to get out of here and away fro, he said, "I’ve never known anyone who’s gotten their doctorate before"

All things considered, Elise thought, Axwelle had been right to call her on her shit: The thing that she had forgotten--and this was especially true when it came to new people--was that you had to iven her any indication that he was an open book, and she had pushed him too far because she had ascribed her own characteristics to hied that he hadn’t bolted out her door

"Yes," she said, clearing her throat "My studies have been years and years of work That’s ell, that’s why I got ahead of e investment of time and effort, and if I don’t co? And my father can be so hard for iven uess … I just don’t want to lose my shot"

As she fell silent, he cracked his knuckles one by one "I can’t help it"

"Being defensive? Why wouldn’t you have been I put you on the spot"

"No Being attracted to you"

Elise tried to look calm as her heart skipped in her chest But Lord help her, she nearly let out a giggle

Straightening her spine, she decided toattracted to you" As his head whipped up, she rolled her eyes "Come on It’s pretty damn obvious"

Axwelle cleared his throat "So you’re the psych pro Don’t you think that ether?"

"At least we knohat the issue will be instead of having to discover it" There was a pause "Okay, that was a joke You’re supposed to laugh"

When he didn’t even chuckle, she--